System for creating an artwork

ABSTRACT

A system for creating an artwork, said system having artwork creation means for creating an artwork incorporating an art object, and control means for controlling the manner in which an art object can be incorporated into said artwork in accordance with a rule, wherein when said artwork creation means is creating an artwork incorporating an art object, said art object control means controls the incorporation of said art object into the artwork to ensure that it is in accordance with said rule.

DETAILS OF RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application is based on and claims benefit of the filingdate of U.S. provisional application No. 60/226,059 filed 18 Aug. 2000and Australian application PQ9522 also filled 18 Aug. 2000.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a system forcreating an artwork. More specifically, the first aspect of the presentinvention relates to controlling the manner in which art objects such aslogos can be incorporated into finished artwork to be applied to, forexample packages.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

[0003] Presently, packaging artworks generally include a number of artobjects such as logos, barcodes, text, and pallet patterns.

[0004] It is often necessary for art objects such as barcodes to belocated in a particular position or to have a certain minimum size.Further, a company may have specific rules regarding the use of theirtrade marks or logos. Such rules are sometimes documented in a manual,however if the person creating an artwork is not aware of the rule orchooses to ignore it, an artwork can be produced which does not complywith the requirements. When the nature of the task of creating suchpackaging artwork is considered, it becomes apparent that it is a verycomplex task where a number of people and organisations are involved inthe process and there is often poor communication between theparticipants which can lead to unsatisfactory packaging artwork beingproduced which needs to be reworked prior to production. Accordingly, itwould be desirable to provide an improved system which avoids some ofthe foregoing problems. Further, when there are changes to art objectssuch as logos it is difficult to determine what artworks need to bechanged as a result. For example, a company may modify a brand logo andneed to alter all packaging which incorporates this logo. Thus, it wouldbe desirable to be able to automatically alter all artworks which use analtered logo when an alteration is made.

[0005] In a second aspect the present invention relates to a method andsystem for dividing an area of an electronic document into a pluralityof selectable regions. Advantageously, the second aspect of theinvention may be used in combination with the first aspect of theinvention.

[0006] Previously it has been know to divide an area of an electronicdocument by means of a grid. A grid, generally consists of a pluralityof equally spaced apart horizontal and vertical lines which have an evenspacing and which divide the area of an electronic document into aplurality of equal areas. Such grid lines, are commonly used in computerprograms which are used to generate artworks or drawings, but can alsobe used in the generation of flow charts and the like. Objects can bepositioned in the document and fixed in position in a manner defined bythe grid lines. An object can either be incorporated directly into theartwork or as part of a text or picture box—i.e. by defining an areawithin the electronic document area into which further objects such astext or pictures are to be incorporated. An inherent problem with such asystem is that the grid remains fixed relative to the borders of thearea of the electronic document within which it is provided. That is,typically the grid is defined in a fixed manner relative to each page ofthe electronic document. From an aesthetic point of view, in order toachieve balance in a document, it is necessary to define somerelationship between objects which have already been incorporated intothe drawing, artwork, or flow chart and future objects.

[0007] Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an alternativetechnique for dividing an area of an electronic document to a pluralityof regions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a system forcreating an artwork, said system having:

[0009] artwork creation means for creating an artwork incorporating anart object; and

[0010] control means for controlling the manner in which an art objectcan be incorporated into said artwork in accordance with a rule,

[0011] wherein when said artwork creation means is creating an artworkincorporating an art object, said art object control means controls theincorporation of said art object into the artwork to ensure that it isin accordance with said rule.

[0012] Preferably, said artwork is packaging artwork.

[0013] Preferably, the artwork creation means defines a templatecorresponding to the package and creates said artwork by incorporatingart objects into said template.

[0014] Preferably, the artwork creation means divides said template intoa plurality of areas which correspond to panels of said package.

[0015] Preferably, said template corresponds to a blank layout of thepackage.

[0016] Preferably, said control means controls the manner in which anart object can be incorporated in said template in accordance with arule associated with said template.

[0017] Alternatively or in addition, said control means controls themanner in which an art object is incorporated in said artwork inaccordance with a rule associated with said art object.

[0018] Preferably, said artwork creation means can modify an artwork andsaid art object control means controls the modification to ensure thatit is in accordance with any rules associated with any art objectsincorporated in said artwork.

[0019] Preferably, where the modification of said artwork involves achange from a first template to a second template, said object controlmeans controls the modification so that an art object is incorporatedwithin the second template in accordance with the manner in which it wasincorporated within the first template.

[0020] Preferably, the modification is controlled to preserve therelative position of the art object.

[0021] Preferably, the modification is controlled to preserve therelative scaling of the art object.

[0022] Preferably, said system includes rule update means for updating arule associated with an artwork, whereafter said art object controlmeans controls said artwork to be updated in accordance with the updatedrule.

[0023] Preferably, said system is used to create a plurality of artworksand said artworks are maintained in a artwork database.

[0024] Preferably, said rule update means includes a rule database andwhen a rule change is made to said rule database said rule update meansexamines said artwork database and updates artworks relating to saidrule change in accordance with said rule change.

[0025] Preferably, said rule is selected from one of:

[0026] a colour rule;

[0027] a logo rule;

[0028] a scale rule;

[0029] a placement rule;

[0030] a trapping rule;

[0031] an overprint rule;

[0032] a scale rule;

[0033] a panel rule; and

[0034] a blank space rule.

[0035] Preferably, said artwork creation means defines a grid relativeto which art objects can be located.

[0036] Preferably, said system has an input means and said artwork iscreated by a user using said input means.

[0037] Preferably, said system has an output means in the form of adisplay and said artwork is displayed on said display.

[0038] The first aspect of the invention also provides a method ofcreating an artwork, said method including creating an artwork byincorporating an art object into an artwork, and controlling the mannerin which said art object can be incorporated into the artwork inaccordance with a rule, whereby when an artwork is created incorporatingan artwork, the incorporation of said art object is controlled to ensurethat it is in accordance with said rule.

[0039] Preferably, the method is used to create packaging artwork.

[0040] Preferably, said method includes defining a templatecorresponding to a package and creating said artwork includesincorporating art objects into said template.

[0041] Preferably, said method includes dividing said template into aplurality of areas which correspond to panels of said package andlocating art objects within said panels.

[0042] Preferably, said method involves controlling the manner in whichan art object can be incorporated in said template in accordance with arule associated with said template.

[0043] Alternatively, or in addition, said method involves controllingthe manner in which an at object can be incorporated in accordance witha rule associated with said art object.

[0044] Preferably, said method further includes modifying an artwork andcontrolling the modification of the artwork to ensure that it is inaccordance with any rules associated with any art objects incorporatedin said artwork.

[0045] Preferably, where modifying the artwork involves changing thetemplate, the method includes controlling the modification so that whenan art object is incorporated within the changed template it isincorporated in accordance with the manner in which it was incorporatedwithin the original template.

[0046] Preferably, said method further includes updating a ruleassociated with an artwork and controlling said artwork to be updated inaccordance with the updated rule.

[0047] In a second aspect, the invention provides a method of dividingan area of an electronic document into a plurality of selectableregions, the method including the steps of:

[0048] establishing an electronic document area;

[0049] locating within the document area an object to form part of anelectronic document;

[0050] surrounding said object with a plurality of grid lines to boundsaid object into a region;

[0051] said grid lines extending to the perimeter of said document areato thereby divide said document area into a plurality of regions; and

[0052] permitting selection of any one of said plurality of regions.

[0053] Preferably, said regions are rectangular.

[0054] Preferably, said grid lines surrounding said object bound saidobject by the smallest rectangle into which said object fits.

[0055] Preferably, the grid lines are parallel to respective edges ofsaid area.

[0056] Preferably, said method permits the selection of a plurality ofregions.

[0057] Preferably, said method includes locating a plurality of objectswithin said area and surrounding each said object with a plurality ofgrid lines, whereby the grid lines which surround each object co-operateto divide said area into a plurality of regions.

[0058] Preferably, said method includes generating a plurality offurther grid lines parallel to the edges of said area, whereby saidfurther lines co-operate with the grid lines surrounding each object todivide said area into a plurality of regions.

[0059] Preferably, said method permits selection of a region by means ofa pointing device being operated to point inside said region.

[0060] Preferably, said method permits selection of a region by means ofa pointing device being operated to point which the grid lines whichcomprise the perimeter of said region.

[0061] The second aspect of the invention also provides a system fordividing an area of an electronic document into a plurality ofselectable regions, the system including:

[0062] a display means;

[0063] a computer programmed to establish an electronic document areaand to display said document area by means of said display,

[0064] said computer being operable by a user to locate within thedocument area an object to form part of an electronic document,

[0065] said computer being programmed to surround said object with aplurality of grid lines to bound said object into a region,

[0066] said grid lines extending to the perimeter of said document areato thereby divide said document area into a plurality of regions, and

[0067] said computer being operable to permit selection of any one ofsaid plurality of regions by a user.

[0068] Preferably said computer is programmed so that said grid linessurrounding said object bound said object by the smallest rectangle intowhich said object fits.

[0069] Preferably, the grid lines are parallel to respective edges ofsaid area.

[0070] Preferably, said computer is operable to permit the selection ofa plurality of regions.

[0071] Preferably, said computer is operable to locate a plurality ofobjects within said area and said computer is programmed to surroundsaid object with a plurality of grid lines, whereby the grid lines whichsurround each object coral operate to divide said area into a pluralityof regions.

[0072] Preferably, said computer is operable to generate a plurality offurther grid lines parallel to the edges of said area in response to auser command, whereby said further lines co-operate with the grid linessurrounding each object to divide said area into a plurality of regions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0073] Embodiments of the first and second aspects of the invention willnow be described in relation to the following drawings in which:

[0074]FIG. 1 shows the process for creating an artwork in accordancewith an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention;

[0075]FIG. 2 shows a typical blank style;

[0076]FIG. 3 shows how reference points can be defined relative to anobject;

[0077]FIG. 4 shows how regions can be defined relative to an object;

[0078]FIG. 5 provides further explanation of the use of regions in thepresent invention;

[0079]FIG. 6 shows how regions can be used to define relative artworklocations;

[0080]FIG. 7 shows how intersections of regions can be used to defineart objects location;

[0081]FIG. 8 shows how a grid may be used in the present invention;

[0082]FIG. 9 shows how a blank space rule may be used in the presentinvention;

[0083]FIGS. 10A and 10B show how rotation rules may be applied to thedrawings;

[0084]FIG. 11 shows how plate locaters can be used;

[0085]FIG. 12 shows how plates can be extracted from an artwork;

[0086]FIGS. 13A, 13B and 13C show various alternative plate generationswhich are dependent on the size of an artwork;

[0087]FIGS. 14A and 14B show how plates can be manipulated in order tomeet size requirements;

[0088]FIG. 15 shows how art objects may be grouped and then centredrelative to a panel;

[0089]FIG. 16 shows a graphical interface for creating a packagingartwork;

[0090]FIG. 17 shows a polar panel array;

[0091]FIG. 18 shows how a bleed line may be defined;

[0092]FIGS. 19a and 19 b shows how an offset rule may be used;

[0093]FIG. 20 shows another use of an offset rule;

[0094]FIGS. 21a, 21 b and 21c show how an area of an electronic documentcan be sub-divided into a plurality of equal sized regions;

[0095]FIGS. 22a, 22 b and 22 c shows how an area of an electronicdocument can be sub-divided into a plurality of regions on the basis ofthe location of objects which said area; and

[0096]FIG. 23 shows how the sub-divided regions of FIGS. 21a to 21 c andFIGS. 22a to 22 c can be combined.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0097] In the preferred embodiment, the system of the first aspect ofthe present invention is used to create packaging artwork which istypically to appear on cardboard boxes. It will be apparent that thissystem can be used to generate packaging artwork for other types ofpackages.

[0098] The preferred system is embodied in software to be run on acomputer. The software includes means for creating an artwork bylocating one or more art objects within a template and interacts withnormal computer functions so that a user uses input means in the form ofperipheral devices such as a keyboard and a mouse to interact with thesoftware to create an artwork which is displayed on a computer monitor.The template may be predefined and retrieved from a database oftemplates corresponding to the style of packaging or if there is noexisting template, a template may be defined to correspond to the newpackage style or an existing template may be modified. The templatesinclude version control information to allow the identification andcontrol of templates.

[0099] As described herein, an art object may be text such as anutrition statement; a barcode, a warning symbol; a pallet patternarrangement or any other element which needs to be incorporated into apackaging artwork.

[0100] Art objects are stored in library databases such as logo librarydatabases. These art objects have associated with them sets of ruleswhich can control their placement, scaling, colour, font etc of theobject. The individual record for each art object will also have thefilename, creation and modification dates, as well as the version numberof the object so that the object can be tracked by searching objectmanagement information associated with each artwork.

[0101]FIG. 1 shows the process that is used in the preferred embodimentto create an artwork and the object management information which isgenerated to subsequently manage that artwork.

[0102] At step 1 an artwork template is retrieved or generated. At step2 an artwork template is populated by art objects such as logos,barcodes, or CAD drawings to produce a populated template. The populatedtemplate contains object management information (OMI) which can be usedto generate finished art at step 3 and also to manage the artwork at alater date. The process of populating the template is performed undercontrol of an object control means which ensures that the art objectsare incorporated into the populated template in accordance with anyrules associated with art objects or the template so that these rulesare obeyed in the finished artwork.

[0103] When a library object is used in an artwork the version controlinformation of the OMI will be embedded in the artwork as for example:

[0104] text on a separate layer which is not printed in commerciallysupported formats (for example Adobe Illustrator),

[0105] text with no Stroke or Fill which is not visible in somecommercially supported products,

[0106] as annotations,

[0107] embedded in the raw file as DSC (Document Structuring Convention)comments for example.

[0108] This information can then be searched by using a search engine tofind artworks which contain certain objects, a good example is when abrand logo is modified, it will be useful to know which artworks haveused the superseded logo. Having located these artworks they may beupgraded with the new logo either manually or automatically if theobject was ‘placed’ as an external reference file. They may also be onlyflagged such that when they are accessed in future a message is envoked,which says that the content is out of date, the file may also be lockedso that it can't be used until the artwork including the art object isupdated.

[0109] Further, all rules associated with an object are included withinthe OMI. Hence, once the system has created an artwork, any artwork canbe readily redefined for example, if the panel sizes are changed, thesystem will reconfigure the artwork in accordance with the rulesassociated with each of the art objects to form a new artwork. If a ruleis violated by the proposed redefinition then the change will not beallowed. Similarly, if there is a change to a logo, the objectmanagement information layer of the artwork can be queried to find logoswhich are to be changed and all artworks requiring the change can beupdated and any plate incorporating the artwork can be tracked andreplaced as necessary.

[0110] It will be apparent that rules for art objects which are embeddedinto the object management information can either be pre-existing at thetime an initial artwork is created or defined by the creation of aparticular artwork or template. Examples of pre-existing rules are thebar codes and logos discussed previously. Other rules, such as therelevant placement of objects are incorporated into the objectmanagement information under control of the user creating the artwork.In this manner, should the artwork be redesigned, say to fit the artworkto a different sized package, the relative positions defined in thefirst artwork can be imported into the second artwork. Thus, if anartwork is defined relative to a template and there is a change oftemplate, the existing rules of the initial artwork will be preserved inthe artwork created using the second template.

[0111] In order to facilitate further understanding of the inventionvarious manners in which art objects may be incorporated into an artworkrelative to a template themselves will be described.

[0112] Precedence rules can be used to specify levels of precedence forart objects such that certain rules can override other rules and candrive behaviour of lower level objects. For example a barcode may beassigned a higher level of precedence than a Brand Logo such that thelogo will be resized to accommodate the barcode until it reaches itslimit and the template reports a conflict. Objects having a lowprecedence level may be influenced by higher level objects to the pointwhere they are not included if they don't fit, they could be describedas dispensable.

[0113] Each template can use conventional co-ordinate geometry to definepositions of panels and objects. The location of objects in packagingartwork is best described within the frame of reference of an individualpanel, this is especially useful where object arrangements are repeatedin other panels. Thus, an element arrangement can be defined essentiallyin a two step process where objects are positioned relative to a firstpanel and then this positioning is repeated in a second panel. Thespecification of the relationship of one panel to another can definethat the rotation of one panel to another to ensure that art objects onthe various panels are correctly oriented.

[0114] For consumer packs the style template will describe which is themain display/selling panel, the side panels and back panel, similarlyfor shippers the template will identify the main panel and minor panelsbecause art objects may have rules that apply according to which panelthey are being incorporated into. An example is that a barcode on a mainpanel of a shipper can't be less than 100% magnification but can go to90% on a minor panel. Similarly, nutrition statements which normally goon side panels may be allowed to move to the back panel if the sidepanel is too small.

[0115] Referring to FIG. 16 a star logo 50 and a hot dog logo 51 arelocated in each of panels P(2,2)52, P(3,2)53, P(4,2)54, P(5,2)55, andP(4,3)56. It will be apparent that the relative positions of these twologos are the same for each panel, whereas the sizes are different indifferent panels. For example, the logos are longer in P(4,2)54 than inP(5,2)55 or P(4,3)56. Similarly, there is a different rotation of theobjects in P(4,3)56 than in, for example, panel P(4,2)54.

[0116] A panel array defines the number of panels of the layout in the Xand Y directions. The expression: DIM P(5,3) defines a layout with fivehorizontal panels by three vertical panels. After the panel array hasbeen declared, individual panels can be referred to as P(X,Y) e.g.P(3,2) is panel three across and two up from the left bottom corner ofthe panel array which is used consistently as the reference pointthroughout the invention. Co-ordinates can be either local or global.Local co-ordinates define locations within a panel whereas globalco-ordinates relate to the whole blank. The origin of a globalco-ordinate is the intersection of a left most and lowest panel edges ofthe whole layout and the origin of each panel is the left bottom corner.Obviously, the local co-ordinates can be mapped to global co-ordinatesand vice versa. Further, in cases where the packaging blank is used toproduce a package which has a definite upper or lower surface, then itmay be desirable to define a relationship between the blank layout andthe three dimensional finished pack which will be constructed to ensurethat information appears on the correct surface. Another example is thata main panel may be required to have a barcode having 100% scalingwhereas a minor panel such as a side panel may have a barcode having 90%scaling.

[0117] A panel array may also be polar as with octagonal trays etc inwhich case the base panel is P(0,0). The panels are then describedcounter clockwise from 12.00 o'clock the first co-ordinate being thenumber of panel around the base and the second being the level radiatingout from the base panel. Referring to FIG. 17, P(1,1)60 is at 12.00o'clock 1^(st) level P(2,1)61 is the next panel around the base still atlevel 1, P(1,2)62 is at 12.00 o'clock but at level 2.

[0118] The templates use the CAD blank definitions to establish panelsizes and positions so that the blank and the graphics layout can bemerged in correct register.

[0119] Referring to FIG. 2, a style blank is defined using CAD Grid eg:X1 = 0 Y1 = 0 X2 = GL Y2 = (W + A2)/2 X3 = X2 + L + A2 Y3 = Y2 + D +A2 + T X4 = X3 + W + A2 Y4 = Y3 + (W + A2)/2 X5 = X4 + L + A2 − SL/2

[0120] Where L=pack length, W=pack width, D=pack depth, GL=glue lap,SL=slot width, and A2=creasing tolerance.

[0121] Panel sizes are defined using the Grid values to define vertices.The panels are mostly rectangular but can be closed polygons with anynumbers of vertices. For example,

[0122] P(3,1)=(X3, Y1)TO, (X4, Y1)TO, (X4, Y2)TO, (X3, Y2)TO

[0123] P(2,2)=(X2, Y2)TO, (X3, Y2)TO, (X3, Y3)TO, (X2, Y3)TO

[0124] Nine reference points are defined for each panel. PLT = Left TopPCT = Centre Top PRT = Right Top PLC = Left Centre PCC = Centre CentrePRC = Right Centre PLB = Left Bottom PCB = Centre Bottom PRB = RightCentre

[0125] Individual co-ordinate values can also be derived from panels:

[0126] PCX=Panel Centre X value

[0127] PCY=Panel Centre Y value

[0128] PX=Panel Width

[0129] PY=Panel Height

[0130] Having defined the template that forms the basis of an artwork,it is necessary to describe the manner in which art objects can beincorporated into the template, to populate the template and create theartwork.

[0131] Art objects fall into two groups, some objects being variablewith regard to their scale, and some objects having scaling which isfixed to one scale or restricted to changing by fixed steps.

[0132] In a first group, where art objects can change size freely withinthe constraints that the template imposes, more often than not, theirscale is proportionate to the overall panel size. Where art objects canbe variably scaled the best practice is to determine generally agreeableproportions of each art object to a typical panel size to thereby set updefault relationships. For example for an art object which is a majorbrand logo, a rule could specify that the logo take up 50% of the panelwidth and 30% of the panel height. The location of the logo could alsobe expressed in terms of proportion. For example, the logo may beanchored to the Left Top (LT) of the panel then offset 15 percent ofpanel width horizontally & vertically.

[0133] The second group are those art objects which have fixed scaling,they may change their size but if they do they will increment ordecrement through fixed scale, they may have a minimum size, a defaultor reference size, and a maximum size. A good example of this type ofart object is a barcode which for corrugated boxes has a default sizeknown as 100% magnification, the minimum is 90% and the maximum is 120%.Barcodes typically are generated to have dimensions of 160 mm high by 40mm wide—this size is deemed to be the 100% magnification. Thus, thebarcode has a rule which controls its size. The rule may further specifythat while the 90% minimum is allowable in some circumstances and 100%is the default size, 120% is preferred on larger panels to increase thepotential for correct scanning. Another art object which has fixedscaling is the ‘clear space bar’ which is normally placed on a largepanel and positioned at a fixed distance from the bottom of the panel,and with a fixed height, extending across the full width of the panel.Such clear space areas are used for ink jet printing of informationwhile the package travels along a conveyor belt.

[0134] The presence of these fixed scale objects significantly impactson where and how other art objects are placed and scaled on a panel.Where a panel has both a barcode and a ‘clear space bar’ typically allthe art objects that are in the lower portion of the panel below theclear space bar, have few scaling options vertically. The area above the‘clear space bar’ is known as the variable scaling region, in thisregion elements can derive their proportions from the overallproportions of a panel width and the vertical dimension above the ‘clearspace bar’.

[0135] The fixed scale art objects in a panel also determine the minimumsize a panel can be in order to accommodate a particular graphicslayout. For example a panels vertical size cannot be less than the topof the ‘clear space bar’, and the panel cannot be less than the barcodewidth with some margin added. This prevents the inadvertent creation ofartworks which do not comply with the rules of a combination of objects.In practice, the system will prevent the incorporation of an art objectinto an artwork if its incorporation is not in accordance with a ruleassociated with the object and the user will have to alter the artworkaccordingly, unless, for example, a precedence rule can be invoked toresolve the problem.

[0136] Virtually all art objects when being scaled will need to stay inproportion; that is their aspect ratio needs to be equal to one. If anart object is defined to have its scaling as 50% of the panel width, and30% of the panel height, this may define an area which isdisproportionate with regard to the art object itself. This can beconsidered a sub-rule of the size rule. In this case the smaller scalingof the two is used both horizontally and vertically to ensure that theplaced art object remains in correct proportion and does not extendoutside the allowable area.

[0137] Similarly, objects may need to be in proportion relative to oneanother. For example a corporate logo might be scaled relative to thepanel but in doing s may become larger in proportion to the brand logothan appropriate. In which case, it should be resized according to arule describing the relationship between the corporate and brand logos.This can happen after the corporate logo has been placed in the artwork,if for example, the corporate logo needs to be positioned first and theposition of the corporate logo defines the position of the brand logo.

[0138] Referring to FIG. 3, nine reference points are for each artobject 5 identified by: OLT = Left Top OCT = Centre Top ORT = Right TopOLC = Left Centre OCC = Centre Centre ORC = Right Centre OLB = LeftBottom OCB = Centre Bottom ORB = Right Bottom

[0139] An art object can also have individual co-ordinate values forreference when placing other objects:

[0140] OLX=Left X

[0141] ORX=Right X

[0142] OBY=Bottom Y

[0143] OTY=Top Y

[0144] For example, an object can be positioned relative to the leftbottom corner of another object.

[0145] There are 3 ways to position an art object in a given panel;direct placement, the picture box technique, and the text box technique.

[0146] Direct placement of an art object in a panel requires a user tospecify an object reference point and a panel reference or reference toa previously placed object. For example, if the user specifies OCC>PCCthis places the centre of the object in the centre of the current panel.Alternatively ORB>PRB, offset (−19, 19) places the right bottom verticeof an art object at a point offset 19 mm left and 19 mm up from theright bottom vertice of the panel (this is a typical barcode objectposition). It will be apparent that other units can be used to defineoffsets.

[0147] A picture box is a container into which any art object selectedby the user such as a logo from a library of logos can be inserted, itis a convenient device because it controls scaling independently of theincluded art object itself. It may be convenient for example to usepicture boxes to define a horizontal band of art objects which need tobe proportionately spaced across a panel. The scale of each art objectwill be determined such that it does not exceed the size of the picturebox and may also require a border or inset which can be part of thePicture Box definition. The Picture Box will most often have the aspectratio of the art object set to one but it may be useful at times to havethe art object scale disproportionately. The Picture Box is thus, itselfa secondary art object which can incorporate one or more primary artobjects.

[0148] Text boxes can also be used, the size of the Text Box and theamount of text will determine the size of the Font used, if the Text Boxis set to multi-line it will allow wordwrapping. A Text Box may alsoallow a certain amount of disproportionate scaling of the font and mayalso invoke adjustments to kerning, tracking (overall characterspacing), and leading (space between lines of text) to fit the text intothe defined space.

[0149] Art objects are also allocated an Object Array Number—e.g. 0(1)is the first object to be defined, 0(2) the second object and so on. Theobject array is local to the panel so that renumbering is easier, thesystem however tracks the objects globally. Objects can be repeated intoanother panel in the same arrangement, but may be subsequently modified.

[0150] The nine reference points for each art object are identified by0(n); where n is the number of the object.

[0151] 0(n)LT=Left Top

[0152] 0(n)LC=Left Centre

[0153] 0(n)LB=Left Bottom

[0154] 0(n)CT=Centre Top

[0155] 0(n)CC=Centre Centre

[0156] 0(n)CB=Centre Bottom

[0157] 0(n)RT=Right Top

[0158] 0(n)RC=Right Centre

[0159] 0(n)RB=Right Bottom

[0160] Object co-ordinate codes are:

[0161] 0(n)LX=Left X

[0162] 0(n)RX=Right X

[0163] 0(n)BY=Bottom Y

[0164] 0(n)TY=Top Y

[0165] The order of the objects will be consistent with the ‘PaintOrder’—i.e. if an object is defined after another one and they overlap,the later art object will paint over the first

[0166] While many art objects are placed relative to the nine panelreference points, others need to be positioned relative to a space leftafter one or more art objects have been placed previously. These spacesare called Regions and there are twelve of them that can be referencedrelative to a placed object 5 and a panel 6, eight of these regions areshown in FIG. 4, where L=left, C=centre, R=right and B=bottom.

[0167] Also there are regions which cover the whole panel in one axis.For example, referring to FIG. 5 Region T (i.e. T=Top) 9 encompasses allof the panel above the object. Similarly, Region B is all of the panelbelow the object, Region L is all of the panel left of the object, andRegion R is all of the panel right of the object. Thus, Region T is madeup of Regions LT, CT and RT. Region R is made up of Regions RT, RC andRB etc. For example, the relationship: 0(12)CC>0(11) Region LC(CC)illustrated in FIG. 6 means that the twelfth art object's centre is tobe centred in the Region Left Centre of the eleventh art object.

[0168] Similarly, the expression 0(6)CC>0(5) Region RC(CC) means thesixth art object's centre is to be centred in the Region Right Centre ofthe fifth object.

[0169] Again, the expression 0(7)CC>0(6) Region T(CC) means that theseventh art object's centre is to be centred in the centre of the panelin the Region Top of the sixth art object.

[0170] Regions can also be defined by the intersection of other regionsdefined by multiple art objects in the panel. Referring to FIG. 7, theexpression 0(3)CC>Intersection (0(1)Region T+0(2) Region B)(CC), saysthat the third art object 0(3) will be placed at the centre of a region15 which is the intersection of the region above 0(1) and the regionbelow 0(2).

[0171] Art objects sometimes need to be placed at even centres across apanel so panel regions may need to be defined. The definition DimPG(3,1) which declares that a panel has three horizontal regions and onevertical region. An example of regions defined by the expression isshown in FIG. 8.

[0172] The position of at objects can then be defined relative to theregions. The expressions:

[0173] 0(1)CC>PG(1,1)CC

[0174] 0(2)CC>PG(2,1)CC

[0175] 0(3)CC>PG(3,1)CC

[0176] place three objects 0(1), 0(2) and 0(3) at even spacing on thepanel 7.

[0177] Art objects can be lines defined using any combination of:

[0178] absolute co-ordinates;

[0179] panel references; or

[0180] other object references.

[0181] Lines are drawn directly at the positions nominated. For example:

[0182] 0(7)=Line(PL,PT−10)−(PR,PT−10); Stroke=Black;Weight=20;Style=Dashed (10,10), defines a black dashed horizontal line having aweight of twelve extending from the left of the panel, ten units downfrom the top to the right of the panel ten units down from the top.

[0183] 0(8)=Line(PL,PT−10)−(PR,PB+70);Stroke=Black; Weight=20;Style=Dashed (10,10), defines a similar diagonal line extending from theleft to the right of the panel from 10 units from the top to 70 unitsfrom the bottom. As panel left is defined as being zero, the value ofpanel right is the same. as the panel width. Similarly, because panelbottom equals zero, the value of panel top equals the panel height.

[0184] A rectangular object's size can be defined by the expressionRect(x,y). The defined object is then placed.

[0185] The expression 0(6)=Rect(PR−20, PT/3); Fill=PMS3234; Stroke=None,defines a sixth object which is a rectangle having a width of the panelwidth minus 20 units and a height which is one third of the panelheight. The expression 0(6) CT>PCT; Offset (0,−20), aligns the centretop of the sixth object with the panel centre top with an offset 20.

[0186] Zones such as ‘No Print Zone’ can be defined as rectangles, forexample:

[0187] 0(8)=Rect(PR, 30) Fill=None; Stroke=None

[0188] 0(8) CB>(CPX; 0(3) T); Offset(0, 5).

[0189] The expression Clear(L, B, R, T) defines a border around an artobject which must be kept clear, the values L, B, R, T are the marginson Left, Bottom, Right and Top that the object must be away from a paneledge or other object.

[0190] For example, as shown in FIG. 9 (which is not to scale), theexpression 0(1) LB>PLB; Clear(10, 10, 10, 10) means that the firstobject located left bottom is anchored to the panel left bottom 39. Asshown in FIG. 9, a clear area ten units is defined around the fifthobject causing the first object to be offset by 10 units from the leftand bottom edges of the panel respectively as indicated by item 41. Asshown in FIG. 9, clear spaces 40 a, 40 b can overlap so long as theobjects do not intrude into the clear space.

[0191] In many cases one or more colours will change according to theproduct being packed. The template will have colours specified by numberCol(1), Col(2), Col(3) etc and they will have a default.value forviewing but the actual output colours will need to be specified atruntime (defaults can be used). They can be specified as Black, White,RGB(R, G, B) CMYK(C, Y, M, K) or PMS(nnnn)—i.e. according to any knownor suitable technique. Once a colour has been set it may apply to allsubsequently defined objects.

[0192] Colour rules may include rules relating to whether the colourscan be flattened if used on a shipper (i.e. 3 colours on a primary packmay or may not be converted to one colour on the shipper in which theprimary packs are contained).

[0193] Similarly, certain colours are inappropriate for barcodes (e.g.red and red based colours) because there will not be enough contrastwhen scanning. If the user tries to assign a bad colour to the layerwhich includes the barcode a warning is issued or the assignment of thatcolour can be prevented.

[0194] As shown in FIG. 18, the system can also be used to add a bleedline 63, which defines a region of overall colour (which ‘bleeds’ outbeyond the edges of a panel 64 to ensure that no ‘white space’ is seenif there is any misalignment of closure panels).

[0195] The system can apply a nominated colour to the region defined bythe bleed lines.

[0196] A rectangle or block of colour can be defined by an Insetdistance from a panel or other container edges 65. As shown in FIG. 19a,the expression: Panel Inset(10, 10, 10, 10) Fill Yellow, defines a panel66 inset by 10 mm from all of the panel edges and filled with the colouryellow. Similarly, the expression: Panel Inset(10, 10, 10, 10) StrokeBlue 6 pt, defines a 6 pt blue line 67 inset by 10 mm from all of thepanel edges as shown in FIG. 19b. Insets can belong to Panels orRectangles or Regions. When they are declared they become new workingsize so that fills or strokes apply to the inset size not the original.Furthermore, if an object's size is being determined by filtering into aregion, and the region has an inset, the object will size to the inset.Thus, the inset is an example of a template based rule.

[0197] Some objects such as ‘banners’ and ‘star bursts’ often overlapother objects, this can be done by defining an offset as described abovebut only if the object rules allow overlap of certain object types,otherwise the clear space or margin rules apply.

[0198] The expression O(2) RB>O(1) LT Offset (10%, -15%) is illustratedin FIG. 20. This says that the Right Bottom 69 of a second object 68 isanchored to the LeftTop of a first object 70 but offset by 10% of thewidth of the first object and 15% of the height of the first object. Theoffset can be in fixed dimensions (mm) or as a proportion of the objectbeing overlapped.

[0199] Objects can also belong to a Layer which may have the same colouror other common attribute which facilitates things like assigningcolours or printing order to manage things like overprint and colourseparation. The Layer concept is well implemented in existing softwarepackages such as Adobe Illustrator.

[0200] Either layers or special colours can be used to distinguish whichelements will be on the printing plate and which will not. For example,a title block and the die line need to be on the proof but not printed.

[0201] The default is no rotation but all objects can be rotated anyangle but mainly 90, 180, or 270 degrees about their centre point. Forexample, object 5 shown in FIG. 10a can be rotated 180 degrees by theattribute: Rotate (180) as shown in FIG. 10b. The object referencepoints refer to the current view of the object (are not rotated with theobject) so that RB without rotation is still RB after rotation. Inaddition, it will be apparent that a panel, including all its contents,can be rotated.

[0202] As shown in FIG. 15, grouping art objects before placement is aconvenient way to avoid complex arrangements. Art objects can be called,referencing each other to define the relationship within the group, thegroup can then be located using reference points of the grouped object.Groups also allow objects to have a size relationship to other objects.

[0203] The expression group [0(21) RC>0(22) LT+0(22) CT>0(23) CB](CC)>PCC, groups object 21 right centre with objects 22 left top andobjects 23 centre bottom with objects 22 centre top within the group.The group is centred on the panel.

[0204] In addition to the foregoing, the system offers the ability toimport the artwork from additional panels in a first artwork into a newartwork, whereby an artwork can be created as a compilation of populatedpanels from other artworks while preserving the rules defined in thecreation of those populated panels.

[0205] Once the system has completed the compilation of all the artworkaspects into a template to form an artwork it is known as ‘Finished Art’and will be circulated for approval by various departments within acompany such as R&D, Marketing, Package Development, Production andLegal. In the preferred embodiment, the system uses the PDF file formatto facilitate this process so that it can be done electronically in amanaged workflow system or using email alone for distribution. It willbe apparent that other appropriate formats can be used instead.

[0206] When the artwork has been approved the process will move into theprepress phase, where the electronic file which defines the artwork willbe prepared for making film negatives for subsequent printing platemanufacture (although emerging technology allows plates to bemanufactured directly from the electronic image, this is known asCTP—Computer To Plate). The Prepress phase will involve:

[0207] Colour Trapping (overlapping colour regions to ensure that no‘white’ space appears between abutting regions if they are slightly outof register/alignment during the print run).

[0208] Colour Separation (this is where each colour is extracted fromthe artwork to a separate image for film and plate making)

[0209] Adding register marks (these target like marks are used to alignall the separated colour images so that they are ‘in register’ in theplate making stage). Some systems employ a ‘Pin Register’ method wherefixed locations for mounting pins are mapped into the image.

[0210] Disproportionate Scaling to accommodate ‘stretch’, this is ascaling in one axis to compensate for plate distortion when it iswrapped around the mounting cylinder on the press.

[0211] The processes above are used in most package graphics prepressoperations. However, in the case of corrugated cardboard which is usedto form boxes, the arrangement of artwork elements can be quite sparseover large layout areas (ie big boxes with small amounts of print), itis not economical to produce plates that cover the whole layout area.The normal practice in the corrugated industry is to produce smallerpieces of plate for individual parts of the artwork and then mount theseon a backing sheet so that less plate material is used by ‘condensing’the plate film image. The problem with this technique is that it isquite time consuming to locate the plate pieces in relation to the boxlayout, and to each other, in each colour.

[0212] The applicant has developed a patented system described inAustralian Patent 676068 and called Digiset which makes this processfaster and more efficient by linking the mounting process with theelectronic image via a grid of location points.

[0213] The present system allows some automation of the prepressprocesses:

[0214] Colour trapping can be achieved by: adjusting the ‘stroke width’and ‘overprint’ attributes of art objects if required (these may bepreset in the objects themselves eg logos but may need adjusting whenthe object is resized). The template can also identify which objectsneed trapping due to their proximity with other objects.

[0215] Colour separation: since the objects and their colours areidentified in the template it is possible to separate and condense thefilm images as appropriate.

[0216] Adding Register marks, these can be the traditional targets whichare placed at the corners of panels (since the pack layout is known),they could be ‘Pin Register’ holes or Digiset locaters could be placedas appropriate.

[0217] Disproportionate Scaling can be envoked on all objects in thetemplate.

[0218] This means that the present system can automate the process fromart creation through the prepress phase providing film ready files whichcould be placed in a queue on the image setter and indeed processedautomatically by a modern device of this kind. Needless to say if CTPwere in place it could proceed automatically to the plate making phase.

[0219] Referring to FIG. 11, integration of the Digiset software toplace locaters in the appropriate positions involves utilising specialregions which are part of the template definition in which locator 31addresses would be found corresponding to the Digiset grid 30. Forexample an art object 5 would have regions 32 defined adjacent to it inwhich the system searches to find an occurrence of a grid location.

[0220] The Locating region 32 would have a diameter which ensures atleast one locator is found and if two are found the one that is closestto the object (with appropriate clearance) would be selected.

[0221] In the example of FIG. 11, the Locating regions apply to a singleart object 5 which is situated by itself in the middle of the panel andis appropriate for large format space artworks. The example of FIG. 12shows that when objects 5 get closer together as the box layout changes(gets smaller), they will be made from one plate piece 42.

[0222] The Template will have the ability to determine different platepiece relationships according to the size of the panel/layout. FIG. 13ashows a single piece of plate being used for a small panel, FIG. 13bshows two pieces of plate being used for a medium panel and FIG. 13cshows three pieces of plate being used for a large panel.

[0223] As discussed above the Digiset system allows for minimising offilm and plate material by being able to separate plate pieces which canthen be condensed in the film image but can be easily relocated on thebacking sheet. As shown in FIG. 14a and FIG. 14b, the pieces may alsoneed to be rearranged to fit in the film width for large format work.

[0224] Alternatively, the object management information can be embeddedin the finished artwork and can be extracted as necessary.

[0225] In the preferred embodiment of the second aspect of theinvention, the second aspect of the invention is embodied in a graphicaluser interface GUI which is capable of generating grid, lines whichoverlay an electronic document which are used to generate an artwork. Aswill be apparent to persons skilled in the art, the grid lines which aregenerated in the preferred embodiment do not form part of the documentitself. The grid lines of the preferred embodiment allow the area to besub-divided into a number of regions which can be selected by a user ofthe GUI in the generation of their artwork.

[0226] Referring to FIG. 21a, it will be seen that the area 101 of anelectronic document has been divided into a plurality of sub-regions 103a, 103 b, 103 c and 103 d by grid lines 105 a and 105 b. The GUI hasselection buttons 107 a, 107 b which can be used to select the number ofhorizontal, and vertical sub-divisions of the area 101 respectively. Theselection buttons 107 a, 107 b include a toggle which allows a pointingdevice, such as a mouse, to alter the number of sub-divisions. As shownin FIG. 21a the selection buttons 107 a have been used to divide thearea into two horizontal and two vertical regions to thereby sub-dividethe area into four regions 103 a, 103 b, 103 c and 103 d.

[0227] In FIG. 21b, the area 101 has been sub-divided into threehorizontal regions and four vertical regions to thereby provide a totalof twelve regions 113 a-113 e.

[0228] Referring to FIG. 21c, it will be apparent that this Figure showsthe same sub-divisions 113 a-113 e as FIG. 21b, however the individualregions are not numbered for the sake of clarity.

[0229] It will be apparent, referring to FIG. 21b, that each region hasa perimeter which is defined by segments of lines 115 a, 115 b, 115 c,115 d and 115 e.

[0230]FIG. 21c, indicates how regions 113 e and 113 f can be selectedusing a pointing device—i.e. an electronic mouse—which is represented byarrow 120. Shift indicator 122 is provided, merely to represent that inorder to select multiple areas a user must hold down the shift key on anelectronic keyboard while selecting the region with a pointing device.Other similar techniques for selecting multiple items known within theart of the design of graphical user interfaces can also be employed.

[0231] Referring to FIG. 22a, there is demonstrated how an area 101 canbe sub-divided into a plurality of regions, 123 a to 123 i by locating afirst object 124 within area 101.

[0232] Object 124 is rectangular and is surrounded by a plurality ofgrid lines 125 a, 125 b, 125 c and 125 dto thereby bound the object intoa region 123 e. For a rectangular object the grid lines continue withinthe edges of the document and extend to meet the perimeter of area 101.The grid lines thus divide the area 101 into a plurality of rectangularbut uneven regions 123 a to 123 i which depend on the size of the object124 and its position within the area 101.

[0233] In FIG. 22b, a further object 126 has been located within area101. It will be apparent that as the object 126 is round, to preservethe creation of purely rectangular regions within area 101, thegeneration of the grid lines 135 a-135 d is controlled so that theobject 126 is bound by a plurality of grid lines which are parallel tothe edges of the area 101. The generation of the grid lines is furthercontrolled so that the region into which object 126 is bound by gridline 135 a-135 d corresponds to the smallest rectangle in which object126 fits.

[0234] The individual regions of the area 101 as shown in FIG. 22b arenot numbered to preserve clarity of the drawings. However, it will beapparent from inspecting the drawings that the plurality of the regionsare defined by the co-operation of the grid lines 125 a-125 d and 135a-135 d surrounding objects 124 and 126 and the edges of area 101.

[0235] As shown in FIG. 22c, the resultant regions, are selectable usinga pointing device represented by arrow 120 in the same manner as theregions selectable in FIG. 21c. In FIG. 22c, there are three regionswhich are shaded to show that they are being selected and hence it isnecessary for the user to hold down the shift key while selecting two ofthe regions as indicated by shift icons 122.

[0236]FIG. 23, shows how regions defined by fixed grid lines asillustrated in FIGS. 21a-21 c can be combined with regions defined byobjects as illustrated by FIGS. 22a-22 c to produce a plurality ofsmaller selectable regions. FIG. 23 further demonstrates how suchregions can be selected by using a pointing device to point to the lineswhich form the border of a composite region which consists of a seriesof sub-regions.

[0237] Composite region 130 is formed from a plurality of regions byusing a pointing device to click on lines 135 c, 115 d, 125 d and 115 a.It can be seen that this technique has been used to select a region 130which is wholly above the centre line 115 d, which aligns with the gridline passing through the right edge of object 124—i.e. line 125 d andwhich also aligns with the line passing through the top of object126—i.e. line 135 c. This allows the person creating the artwork withinarea 101 to define a region which is in balance relative to both theoverall area 101 and objects located within the area 101.

[0238] The code necessary to generate the present GUI is within theskills of a skilled programmer or skilled team of programmers. In thepreferred embodiment means are provided to allow a person to distinguishbetween gird lines defined as the result of the incorporation of objectswithin the area 101 and fixed grid lines. In the preferred embodimentthese lines are shown to be different in nature by being drawn indifferent colours on a computer display.

[0239] It is apparent that various modifications could be made to themethod and system of the present invention without departing from thescope and spirit of the invention. For example, alternative means can beused to highlight that a particular region has been located. Orequivalent key board commands can be provided which allow a user toselect one or more regions.

[0240] Further, it will be apparent that the function which generatesboth the fixed and object generated grid lines can be switched on andoff as desired by the user of the GUI. For example, once the user haslocated a number of major objects within area 101 the user may turn-offthe object grid function while objects are added to avoid the generationof further grid lines.

[0241] In a modified embodiment, the system of the second aspect of theinvention provides the ability to create new grid lines by offsettingfrom existing grid lines or panel edges. That is, the system includesthe ability to define new grid lines by offsetting them from existinggrid lines or panel edges. The offset can be a fixed dimension or apercentage of the panel width or height. This is useful where a regionneeds to be defined which has a fixed width or height and extends acrossthe panel at a fixed dimension from the panel edge. This type of regionis often used for clear areas which have information such as “bestbefore” dates etc ink jet printed on the packing line.

[0242] In a still further modification, additional grid lines may begenerated automatically relative to the centres of object. Again, thisfeature can be toggled on and off.

[0243] It will be apparent that the second aspect of the A invention canbe used advantageously in combination with the first aspect of theinvention, not only to provide a graphical user interface to allow auser to incorporate objects into an artwork but also to allow a visualrepresentation to be made of various of the rules. For example, a clearspace rule can be represented by automatically generating a grid lineoffset by a certain distance from the object.

[0244] Grid lines can also be used to provide a visual indication of aregion defined by the intersection of the regions which are left of theinsertion of two objects into a panel such as region 15 which isillustrated in FIG. 7.

[0245] It will be apparent that while the notation used herein providesa convenient description of how objects should be positioned etc, thisnotation need not be used to implement the invention. For example, in anXML implementation, the notation OCT>PCC can be represented using XMLtags and attributes such as: <Position Object_Anchor=“CT”Reference_Id=“P(3, 2) ” Reference_Anchor=“CC”/>. That is, a specific XMLgrammar can be defined.

[0246] Various modifications to the system will be understood as beingwithin the scope of the system described herein.

The claims defining the invention are as follows:
 1. A system forcreating an artwork, said system having: artwork creation means forcreating an artwork incorporating an art object; and control means forcontrolling the manner in which an art object can be incorporated intosaid artwork in accordance with a rule, wherein when said artworkcreation means is creating an artwork incorporating an art object, saidart object control means controls the incorporation of said art objectinto the artwork to ensure that it is in accordance with said rule.
 2. Asystem as claimed in claim 1, wherein said artwork is packaging artwork.3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the artwork creation meansdefines a template corresponding to the package and creates said artworkby incorporating art objects into said template.
 4. A system as claimedin claim 3, wherein said artwork creation means divides said templateinto a plurality of areas which correspond to panels of said package. 5.A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said template corresponds to ablank layout of the package.
 6. A system as claimed in claim 3, whereinsaid control means controls the manner in which an art object can beincorporated in said template in accordance with a rule associated withsaid template.
 7. a system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said controlmeans controls the manner in which an art object can be incorporated inaccordance with a rule associated with said object.
 8. A system asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said artwork creation means can modify anexisting artwork and said art object control means controls themodification to ensure that it is in accordance with any rulesassociated with any art objects incorporated in said artwork.
 9. Asystem as claimed in claim 8, wherein when the modification of saidartwork involves a change from a first template to a second template,said art object control means controls the modification so that an artobject is incorporated within the second template in accordance with themanner in which it was incorporated within the first template.
 10. Asystem as claimed in claim 9, wherein the modification is controlled topreserve the relative position of the art object.
 11. A system asclaimed in claim 9, wherein the modification is controlled to preservethe relative scaling of the art object.
 12. A system as claimed in claim1, wherein said system includes rule update means for updating a ruleassociated with an artwork, whereafter said art object control meanscontrols said artwork to be updated in accordance with the updated rule.13. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said system is used tocreate a plurality of artworks and said artworks are maintained in aartwork database.
 14. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said ruleupdate means includes a rule database and when a rule change is made tosaid rule database said rule update means examines said artwork databaseand updates artworks relating to said rule change in accordance withsaid rule change.
 15. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said ruleis selected from one of: a colour rule; a logo rule; a scale rule; aplacement rule; a trapping rule; an overprint rule; a size rule; a panelrule; and a blank space rule.
 16. A system as claimed in claim 1,wherein said artwork creation means defines a grid relative to which artobjects can be located.
 17. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidsystem has an input means and said artwork is at least partly created bya user using said input means.
 18. A system as claimed in claim 1,wherein said system has an output means in the form of a display andsaid artwork is displayed on said display.
 19. A method of creating anartwork, said method including creating an artwork by incorporating anart object into an artwork, and controlling the manner in which said artobject can be incorporated into the artwork in accordance with a rule,whereby when an artwork is created incorporating an artwork, theincorporation of said art object is controlled to ensure that it is inaccordance with said rule.
 20. A method as claimed in claim 19, whereinsaid artwork is packaging artwork.
 21. A method as claimed in claim 19,further including defining a template corresponding to a package, andwherein creating said artwork includes incorporating art objects intosaid template.
 22. A method as claimed in claim 21, further includingdividing said template into a plurality of areas which correspond topanels of said package and locating art objects within said panels. 23.A method as claimed in claim 21 wherein said method involves controllingthe manner in which an art object can be incorporated in accordance witha rule associated with said template.
 24. A method as claimed in claim19, involving controlling the manner in which an art object can beincorporated in accordance with a rule associated with said art object.25. A method as claimed in claim 21 further including: modifying anartwork and controlling the modification of the artwork to ensure thatit is in accordance with any rules associated with any art objectsincorporated in said artwork.
 26. A method as claimed in claim 21,further including: controlling the modification so that when an artobject is incorporated within the changed template it is incorporated inaccordance with the manner in which it was incorporated within theoriginal template.
 27. A method as claimed in claim 26, furtherincluding updating a rule associated with an artwork and controllingsaid artwork to be updated in accordance with the updated rule.
 28. Amethod of dividing an area of an electronic document into a plurality ofselectable regions, the method including the steps of: establishing anelectronic document area; locating within the document area an object toform part of an electronic document; surrounding said object with aplurality of grid lines to bound said object into a region; said gridlines extending to the perimeter of said document area to thereby dividesaid document area into a plurality of regions; and permitting selectionof any one of said plurality of regions.
 29. A method as claimed inclaim 28, wherein said regions are rectangular.
 30. A method as claimedin claim 28, wherein surrounding said object with grid lines involvessurrounding said object by the smallest rectangle into which said objectfits.
 31. A method as claimed in claim 28, wherein involving surroundingsaid object with grid lines which are parallel to respective edges ofsaid area.
 32. A method as claimed in claim 28, wherein selection of aplurality of regions is permitted.
 33. A method as claimed in claim 28,including locating a plurality of objects within said area andsurrounding each said object with a plurality of grid lines, whereby thegrid lines which surround each object co-operate to divide said areainto a plurality of regions.
 34. A method as claimed in claim 28,further including generating a plurality of further grid lines parallelto the edges of said area, whereby said further lines co-operate withthe grid lines surrounding each object to divide said area into aplurality of regions.
 35. A system for dividing an area of an electronicdocument into a plurality of selectable regions, the system including: adisplay means; a computer programmed to establish an electronic documentarea and to display said document area by means of said display, saidcomputer being operable by a user to locate within the document area anobject to form part of an electronic document, said computer beingprogrammed to surround said object with a plurality of grid lines tobound said object into a region, said grid lines extending to theperimeter of said document area to thereby divide said document areainto a plurality of regions, and said computer being operable to permitselection of any one of said plurality of regions by a user.
 36. Asystem as claimed in claim 35, wherein said computer is programmed sothat said grid lines surrounding said object bound said object by thesmallest rectangle into which said object fits.
 37. A system as claimedin claim 35, wherein said computer is programmed to surround said objectwith grid lines which are parallel to respective edges of said area. 38.A system as claimed in claim 35, wherein said computer is operable topermit the selection of a plurality of regions.
 39. A system as claimedin claim 35, wherein said computer is operable to locate a plurality ofobjects within said area and said computer is programmed to surroundsaid object with a plurality of grid lines, whereby the grid lines whichsurround each object cooperate to divide said area into a plurality ofregions.
 40. A system as claimed in claim 35, wherein said computer isoperable to generate a plurality of further grid lines parallel to theedges of said area in response to a user command, whereby said furtherlines co-operate with the grid lines surrounding each object to dividesaid area into a plurality of regions.
 41. A system as claimed in claim35, wherein said system includes a pointing device operable to select aregion by being operated to point within said region.
 42. A system asclaimed in claim 35, wherein said system includes a pointing deviceoperable to select a region by being operated to point which the gridlines which comprise the perimeter of said region.